Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
They call this the badlands, baby,
But it used to be bayou
The shore of an inland sea
But I can (hear you coming x8)
A hole in the world
And the light is leaking out
Spilling like water
And I can (hear you coming x8)
What new delivery is this?
I saw you rise
And creep across the sky.
And all night as I fled,
You came behind,
Eating all the stars.
Dig to find.
Why the light is left
Rocks and stones,
Skulls and bones,
Whispered stories,
Tales of glory, (and a tragic fall from grace x3)
And we're still falling just like the dinosaurs
And a tragic fall from grace.
But it used to be bayou
The shore of an inland sea
But I can (hear you coming x8)
A hole in the world
And the light is leaking out
Spilling like water
And I can (hear you coming x8)
What new delivery is this?
I saw you rise
And creep across the sky.
And all night as I fled,
You came behind,
Eating all the stars.
Dig to find.
Why the light is left
Rocks and stones,
Skulls and bones,
Whispered stories,
Tales of glory, (and a tragic fall from grace x3)
And we're still falling just like the dinosaurs
And a tragic fall from grace.
Lyrics submitted by brandnewisrock
The Badlands Lyrics as written by Nicholas Hunter Newsham Kirk Christian Huffman
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
They call this the badlands baby But it used to be bayou The shore of an inland sea And I can hear you coming
A hole in the world And the light is leaking out Spilling like water And I can hear you coming
What new devilry is this I saw you rise And creep across the sky And all night as I fled You came behind
Eating all the stars Dig to find Why the life led Rocks and stones Skulls and bone Whispered stories Tales of glory
And a tragic fall from grace And a tragic fall from grace And a tragic fall from grace
And we’re still falling Just like the dinosaurs And a tragic fall from grace
sorry i didnt mean to post it as a comment
great song though, the other version that bob sang in is lovely
it was ryan that sang the demo version, not bobby.
whoever sang it its good
whoever said it's ryan is correct. i didn't want to make a third consecutive post. i know.. i suck.
Maybe my favorite GAD song, maybe the only one that shows off any musical talent.
Good song. It's kind of neat/strange that most of their songs incorporate famous pieces of literature into them, like Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness. I know the lines "I saw you rise And creep across the sky And all night as I fled You came behind Eating all the stars"
comes from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King :
"It began last night at sunset. From the hills in the Eastfold of your realm I saw it rise and creep across the sky, and all night as i rode it came behind eating up the stars."